LONDON (CNS): A British cardinal has ordered an inquiry into claims that doctors working out of a Catholic hospital are referring women for abortions and prescribing the morning after pill.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor of Westminster has asked Lord Brennan, a Catholic Labour Party politician, to investigate whether the St John and St Elizabeth Hospital is violating its code of ethics by allowing doctors’ general practices to work out of its premises in London.
The hospital sub-lets part of its premises to six doctors’ practices and plans to open another practice on the site in 2007.
The cardinal acted after the Linacre Centre for Healthcare Ethics, a Catholic institute that shares the site, raised concerns about the possibility of the doctors authorising abortions and prescribing contraceptives.
Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor also received complaints from the Guild of Catholic Doctors.
Although there is no question of abortions being performed at the hospital, the cardinal has asked Lord Brennan to determine whether referrals for abortion contravened the hospital’s code of ethics, which states that “no person may use the hospital facilities for any consultation, operation, procedure, treatment and research which is clearly inconsistent with the ethical policy and accepted practices of the hospital”.
Lord Brennan is expected to report back to the cardinal in November.
